From mailserv@dsd.es.com Fri Dec 31 05:39:27 1993
Precedence: Bulk
Date: Fri, 31 Dec 93  4:32 
From: gus-sdk-request@dsd.es.com (GUS Programmer's Server)
Reply-To: gus-sdk@dsd.es.com (GUS Programmer's Digest)
Subject: GUS Programmer's Digest V7 #11

GUS Programmer's Digest     Fri, 31 Dec 93  4:32         Volume 7: Issue  11  

Today's Topics:
                          Bad-mouthed Cornel
                            Forte response
                     SDK 2.10 - First Impressions

Standard Info:
	- Meta-info about the GUS can be found at the end of the Digest.
	- Before you ask a question, please READ THE FAQ.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Fri, 31 Dec 1993 01:35:58 -0500 (EST)
From: Phat H Tran <ptran@sciborg.uwaterloo.ca>
Subject: Bad-mouthed Cornel

Please, Cornel, keep the inflammatory rhetoric to a minimum.  Mike
essentially agreed with your recommendations, so I saw little reason for
you to verbally abuse him as you have. 

As far as I'm concerned, the SDK does a good job at explaining how the GUS
functions and what its registers do.  That's all that many people need to
start programming the GUS.  Where the SDK falls short is in explaining how
third-party software can use the patches that the card ships with, and I
see no reason why this should be so.

Phat.

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 30 Dec 1993 09:49:48 -0500
From: davidm@marcam.com (David MacMahon)
Subject: Re: Forte response

Previously on GUS PRogrammer's Digest,

>> > Stuff like this was written by chuth@lonestar.utsa.edu (Cornel H. Huth)
>> Stuff like this was written by support@fortech.com (Technical Support)
> Stuff like this was written by chuth@lonestar.utsa.edu (Cornel H. Huth)
Stuff like this was written by me, davidm@marcam.com (David MacMahon)

[Much moaning and groaning about the new SDK deleted]

>> > should not have left Canada as is. I would feel very uneasy about using
>> > any of the code in this SDK, to say the least. Actually, since I write
>
>> As far as I know, there are no bugs in the SDK code. We use it for a lot
>> of stuff and don't have any problems. I would encourage people to use
>
>Famous last words. The previous SDK (2.01) was competely useless to anyone
>not able to fix the numerous problems themselves. And this time 'round, not
>a single mention of any changes/fixes. No wonder you have all those bugs in
>there for so long -- no tracking.

I wrote my program, GusDelay, using the old version of the SDK.  There are 
some problems in the currently released version (0.3), but I do not 
attribute these to the SDK.  In fact, I have fixed those problems (even 
using the old SDK) and will release the new and improved version on January 
4, 1994.  To say that SDK 2.01 "was competely [sic] useless to anyone not 
able to fix the numerous problems themselves" is totally inaccurate.  I was 
able to create GusDelay without fixing any problems in the SDK.

>> the code as is for as much as possible. I have spent countless hours
>> working with people who subscribe to the 'not invented here' syndrome.
>> 90% of those people could have used this code with absolutely no
>
>I sense a bit of hostility here. I "invented" my own because yours was
>so, need I say it again, utterly and completely useless.

Need I say it again, utterly and completely untrue.

[Much more moaning and groaning deleted]

>Just who is responsible for this? I'd like to see some names and e-mail
>addresses instead of this occasional, once-every-other-month pop-in by

Did you read the manual?  Here are some names and addresses that I found...

Names on the cover:

Kurt Kennett
Mike Travers

Addresses and FAX numbers on the cover:

Advanced Gravis
101-3750 North Fraser Way
Burnaby, British Columbia V5J 5E9
FAX (604)-431-5155

Forte Technologies
1555 East Henrietta Rd.
Rochester, N.Y. 14526
FAX (716)-292-6353

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 30 Dec 1993 10:14:34 -0500
From: davidm@marcam.com (David MacMahon)
Subject: SDK 2.10 - First Impressions

I noticed two problems as I skimmed through the documentation of the new SDK.

On page 30, it says...
>Looping the  volume is  essentially as  simple as  looping a  voice.   When
>specifying the  volume  for a  particular  voice (using  UltraSetVolume  or
>UltraSetLinearVolume), you set the  volume mode byte  depending on how  you
>wish to loop the volume.  See appendix B for a definition of which bits  in
>the mode byte control looping.

UltraSetVolume and UltraSetLinear volume should be replaced by 
UltraRampVolume and UltraRampLinearVolume, respectively.

On page 43, it says (and Cornel would agree :-) )...
>This chapter is a reference guide for the routines that compromise both the
>C and Pascal versions of the SDK.

I think "compromise" should be replaced with "comprise".  That one probably 
made it past the spelling *and* grammar checkers! :-)

I was able to re-build my program GusDelay with minimal problems.  Most of 
these problems were due to the use of undocumented macros in the old SDK 
that have new names in the new SDK (i.e. PUSH_IRQ_STATE is now called 
ENTER_CRITICAL).  Some of my problems, however, were due to an apparently 
gross omission.  It seems that none of the Ultra*Handler functions have 
prototypes in GF1PROTO.H or any other header file.  This is a minor 
inconvenience that I worked around by placing the prototypes in my files 
(i.e. PFV UltraRecordHandler( PFV); etc.)

The new documentation is *MUCH* better than the old documentation.  This 
doesn't help me much because I know most of it already, but for the newbie 
it should be much nicer.  The new functionality that I noticed were 
functions to get the state of the inputs and outputs (so you can restore 
them on exit) and better support of rollover bit.

What I want to know is if they will offer an upgrade to the 3.6 version of 
the card! Or at least the new mixer on a daughter-card. :-)

Dave

David MacMahon
Software Engineer
davidm@marcam.com

------------------------------

From: (null)

3.15 Technical Support

                Questions regarding the SDK can be sent to:

                           SDK Technical Support
                              Advanced Gravis
                         101-3750 North Fraser Way
                     Burnaby, British Columbia V5J 5E9
                            FAX (604) 431-5155

      If you have access to a modem, you can contact Gravis' BBS at:
                              (604) 431-5927

    If you have access to internet mail services, you can send mail to
'john.smith@gravis.com' for general questions, or 'kurt.kennett@gravis.com'
          for questions regarding the Pascal version of the SDK.

If that's not good enough for you, what would you like?  Mike's pager number?

Cornel, you talk alot about how horrible the SDK is and how you had to write 
it all over from scratch because you found it to be so useless, but you 
never tell us what wonderful things have you have done to make things 
better.  Granted, you do have an excellent grasp of the register structure 
of the GUS, probably better that some people at Gravis or Forte, but what 
have you done that is so difficult/impossible with the old or new SDK?  
Pointing out specific flaws in the SDK is useful, but general whining is 
annoying.  In other words, with all due respect, put up or shut up.

Dave

David MacMahon
Software Engineer
davidm@marcam.com

------------------------------

End of GUS Programmer's Digest V7 #11
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